


Lost in the Wild

by spideywhiteys



Series: 365 Days of Naruto AUs [51]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Camping AU, F/M, Gen, Mentioned MinaKushi, Unspecified Ages, madara and Mikoto are cousins, or rather attempting to camp bc Minato is vaguely lost, sorta unspecified everything tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-17 17:34:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29596317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spideywhiteys/pseuds/spideywhiteys
Summary: Minato gets help from a man who doesn’t seem all that familiar with giving it.
Relationships: Namikaze Minato & Uchiha Madara, Namikaze Minato/Uzumaki Kushina
Series: 365 Days of Naruto AUs [51]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2086938
Kudos: 9





	Lost in the Wild

**Author's Note:**

> Day 51: Camping AU / Minato + Madara

In Minato’s opinion, the forest is a lovely place. Lush and green, filled to the brim with a cacophony of noise; the wind through trees, the bubble of brooks, the scurrying of animals, the buzz of insects. The hiking trail through the mountainous woods is beautiful, mostly untouched by man and allowed to run wild. There’s a few camping spots along the way, and that’s where he is now.

Well, not at a camping spot. Not yet. He’s supposed to be — but he’s lost. Not terribly, hopefully, but certainly lost. Minato is not familiar with the great outdoors, as beautiful as it may be. He’s a city boy, who’s only ever known concrete and monitored parks and subway systems. The most he’s interacted with the forest is watching it fly by in the car. 

So he’s not too familiar with camp etiquette. 

His girlfriend is, and she’s also the reason he’s out here, lost in the woods — no, that’s not entirely her fault, it’s probably his. He’d looked down for a moment, pausing to tie his shoes in the middle of the path behind Kushina and their friends, and the next thing he knows he’s alone. It should be easy to find them again, as it’s a  _ path _ and all he has to do is follow it.

But he’s….a bit worried.

Minato has pale, vulnerable skin that’s very susceptible to bug bites and rashes from brushing up against leaves he shouldn’t. He reeks of bug spray to the point where it’s burning his nose and eyes. 

Maybe he’d used too much?

...Nah.

There’s also wild animals. Minato is confident in his running abilities — he’s a competent sprinter with a few medals under his belt, but actual animals? Mountain lions? Yeah, no. The only thing superior about humans is their ability to use their brains to cover up the fact that they are at the bottom of the pyramid. Like — like  _ fish, _ or squirrels.

Minato halts his thoughts. It wouldn’t do to work himself up. He likes knowing things, though. Suspicious and wondering and curious all in one. Planning is basically his middle name, it’s how he always manages to look like he’s on top of everything.

Well, he doesn’t feel so on top of everything right now. 

Not that he’s panicking! He has his phone, even if there really isn’t any signal. It can be useful as a flashlight if he’s still lost by night. He knows some survival tips — things he memorized before the trip just in case. It doesn’t mean he  _ expected _ to get lost. So he’s not sure how well some light reading will translate in the real world.  _ That’s _ the only thing he’s worried about. 

Maybe he  _ is _ panicking. 

He works his way down the path, keeping his eyes forward so he doesn’t lose it. Despite the slight worry in the back of his head, Minato also appreciates the quiet. The smell of nature. A distant coo, rustling leaves, wild flowers dotting the ground between tufts of viridian grass. It truly is beautiful, and the sights at the top of the mountain will only be better.

A few minutes later, Minato comes upon an intersection at about the same time as another man does. The two paths converge into one, leading onwards. He blinks crystalline eyes at the tall, pale man. Long, wild hair as dark as night is tied up, somehow still looking unkempt. Eyes, equally dark and lined with marks of stress, age or lack of sleep — Minato can’t tell — stare back at him, just as surprised. 

“Oh, hello.” He says, because Minato is nothing if not polite and amiable.

“Ah.” Is the stunted greeting he gets in return.

Minato keeps smiling. “You wouldn’t happen to know the correct way to Camp Site 7, would you? I got separated from my group.”

_ Please don’t be a serial killer. _

The man gives him a once over, probably thinking along the same lines. Whatever he sees must convince him, because he shrugs. “Yeah, it’s directly along this path. You can’t miss it.”

“Thanks! I’m Namikaze Minato, by the way.”

“...Uchiha Madara.” The tall man replies, rather gruff. Not the openly social type, it seems. 

That’s fine. Minato can deal with that. Just like he can deal with the fact that they’re both awkwardly walking in the same direction.

“Oh, are you related to Uchiha Mikoto?”

Madara blinks, which is about as much of a hint at being caught off guard that Minato is going to get. “...she’s my cousin.”

“She’s in the group that I’m with — she’s actually best friends with my girlfriend, Uzumaki Kushina.”

Madara groans. “Ah.”

Minato chuckles sheepishly. “So you know her.”

“Unfortunately.” He grumbles, uncaring about how that might sound. Minato doesn’t take it as an insult to his girlfriend. The dark-haired man doesn’t mean it as anything truly offensive.

(Minato has a feeling that all Uchiha in general speak their own language.)

“Are you going to be joining us?” He asks, keeping a pleasant grin on his face. It always serves him well.

“...I was persuaded.”

“Well that’s great! It’s really lovely out here. Is Mikoto expecting you?”

Madara glances down at Minato briefly, lips pursing when he only finds a sunny face and clear disposition in return. “Yes.”

Not a great conversationalist. Minato wracks his brain for something else to talk about, but nothing is really coming to mind, and he’s sure more prodding questions will be rebuffed. The guy seems rather private. 

“You were really coming up alone?”

Madara shrugs. “No. I have a partner with me.”

Minato glances around. He looks behind them. In front.  There’s no one else aside from them. Just two men and the trees, along with whatever crawls around in the underbrush. 

“Did they already go ahead?”

“No,” Madara doesn’t exactly smile, but one corner of his mouth quirks sharply in amusement. “I think he got lost.”


End file.
